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Boks the reason behind Racing 92 and Kolisi deal termination
By Ian Cameron
Racing 92 head coach Stuart Lancaster has confirmed that Siya Kolisi's decision to continue playing for the Springboks was the central reason for the mutual termination of his contract with the Paris-based club.
This clarification follows weeks of speculation - first reported by RugbyPass - about Kolisi's future at Racing 92. The split was officially confirmed last week after prolonged discussions.
He will return to the Durban-based Sharks in the URC and won't play alongside former England flyhalf Owen Farrell - a leadership partnership many were looking forward to seeing.
Speaking on The Rugby Paper podcast, Lancaster explained that the original agreement between Kolisi and Racing 92 involved the South African flanker stepping away from international rugby. However, once Kolisi chose to extend his Springboks career the dynamics of the arrangement shifted significantly.
"He was very good and he was very committed to the cause and everything else," Lancaster said. "The original plan with him was that he would not continue to play international rugby. Then once he decided to continue, that changed the dynamic a lot for both parties."
Kolisi's decision to remain active at Test level meant he would spend significant time away from Racing 92, traveling to and from South Africa for national team duties. Lancaster noted that for a player of Kolisi’s stature and age, balancing Test rugby and club commitments is challenging.
"Obviously, he goes back to South Africa and his family is back there in South Africa, so he probably realised that if he plays Test rugby, he plays 12 months of the year and at 33 years old it’s tough to do," Lancaster added.
Kolisi played five times for Racing 92 in last season's Investec Champions Cup, scoring a try against Cardiff Rugby, but the team was eliminated by Stade Toulousain in the Round of 16. He also made 13 appearances in the TOP 14, helping the team reach the play-offs, where they were knocked out by Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti said Kolisi was overweight and 'invisible' during the game.
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